The AFIS has so far caught 250,000 multiple registrants since it was put to use.

These are people who registered more than once, using different names, birthdays, addresses and other identification details,

Take the case of one man, who we won’t name, from a Mindanao province known for multiple registrants.

In his second registration, he gave a different name, a different birthday, and even struck a different photographic pose. But his fingerprints in both registrations gave him away.

Comelec has high hopes the AFIS would result in a fully cleansed voter’s list.

Only, it won’t happen in the May 10 elections because not all 50 million voters have fingerprint records with the Comelec.

“About 32 million registered voters, may biometrics,” says Larrazabal. “Yung iba po, wala po silang biometrics, but pagkatapos po ng eleksyon, we will try our best to encourage as many voters to validate their registration.”

The remaining 18 million who have no fingerprint records are those who registered from 1997 to 2003.

Before Comelec implemented the biometrics system of registration, Comelec asked Congress for a law requiring voters to validate their registration by submitting to a fingerprint scan, but it was rebuffed by congressmen.

So for now, Comelec will issue a watch list and keep a close eye on multiple registrants to make sure they only vote once.

Karen Ang

The ProPinoy Project

The ProPinoy Project is a Global Community Center for all things Pinoy, to connect Filipinos at home and abroad by creating a space for ideas, trends and analyses about the Philippines and the global Pinoy community to inspire informed discussion and transformative action.

The ProPinoy Project is a Global Community Center for all things Pinoy, to connect Filipinos at home and abroad by creating a space for ideas, trends and analyses about the Philippines and the global Pinoy community to inspire informed discussion and transformative action.